When the Class 4A Iowa high school girls state basketball tournament semifinals tipped off between Carlisle and Bishop Heelan, a memorable matchup unfolded.
Throughout the entertaining game, Carlisle’s Macy Comito and Bishop Heelan’s Melina Snoozy continually traded baskets as they battled for a spot in this year’s championship game.
The rivals on the court that evening are now going to be teammates in college after Snoozy announced on social media on April 18 that she plans to play at Iowa State.
She’ll eventually join Comito, who has already finished her high school playing career, signed a letter of intent with the Cyclones and plans to move to Ames over the summer.
Snoozy’s arrival a year from now will reunite the stars of one of the most entertaining games of the 2026 state basketball tournament.
Comito, a senior, poured in a 4A state tournament record 42 points in the win over Heelan to advance to the title game. The historic performance came two days after Snoozy had set the record with a 39-point performance in a win over North Polk.
Snoozy, a junior, was nearly as good in the semifinals of the tournament, scoring 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field in the loss. It capped off a huge season for her that finished with the 6-foot star averaging 21.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
Snoozy is the first member of Iowa State’s 2027 recruiting class. Prep Girls Hoops ranks the 6-foot guard as the top player in the state and the 85th-best player in the nation for her class.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bishop Heelan star Melina Snoozy commits to Iowa State women
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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